Explosive toy.



110.057,000. PATENTED JUNE 1s, 1907.

M. ARMSTRONG 0 A. A. COUP.

BXPLOSIVE TOY.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. z2, 1900.

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MARTIN ARMSTRONG AND ALBERT ACOUP, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

EXPLOSIVE TOY.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed September 22, 1906. Serial No. 335,717.

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Beit known that we, MARTIN ARMSTRONG and ALBERT A. COUP, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Explosive Toy, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our invention relates to that class of toys in which air, compressed by the collapse of a hollow body of impervious flexible material, causes the rupture of a'diaphragm of paper or other similar material so as to produce a sound similar to that caused by the discharge of a lire-arm or the detonation of explosive material. I-Ieretofore toys of this class have been made in which the hollow body of flexible material was in the form of a substantially complete sphere or rubber. The objection to this, however, is that in the first place it requires a large amount of rubber and in the second place there is great dilliculty in securing a suitable air tight joint between the rubber and the clamping device for holding the paper diaphragm. Another obj ection to this prior form of toy is that when 'the sphere orball is collapsed the sides thereof come in contact with the edges of the clamping device, so that the rubber is soon broken and destroyed.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a toy, of the class indicated, in which the hollow body is substantially in the 4form of a hemisphere. sists in various novel features and details of construction, all of which will be described in the following specification and pointed out in the claims aflixed hereto.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate two forms of toys made in accordance with our invention, Figure 1 is a vertical central section showing the toy embodying our invention made in the form of a paddle and Fig. 2 is a similar section of a toy embodying our invention and made in the form of a cane.

Like marks of reference refer to similar.

parts in both views of the drawings.

5 represents the hollow body of impervious flexible material, preferably rubber. This body as will be seen from the drawings, is substantially in the form of a hemisphere. Forming a cover for the body 5 is 'a disk 6,

Our invention also conhaving a llange 7. The edges of the hemisphere 5 rest against the disk 6 and lit snugly within the flange 7. It will be evident that when the body 5 same, and compress the aircontained therein, the edge of the body will be forced lirmly into contact with the disk G and its flange 7, `thus making an air tight joint between the parts withoutany special binding device of any sort. le prefer to cement the body 5 to the flange 7, so as to prevent accidental displacements. This is not necessary, however, to form an air tight ljoint between the parts. It will be evident that the striking of the body 5 to compress the air not only does not part 5 and the cover 6, but on the contrary tightens the connection and insures the formation of a practically air tight joint. Moreover', the sides of the body 5 cannot come in contact with the edge of the flange 7 in such a manner as to be injured thereby. The disk 6 is provided with an outlet S, over which the diaphragm to be ruptured is adapted to be clamped.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the flange 7 of the disk 6 has secured to it, by means of a hinge 11, a member 12 for clamping the paper diaphragm over the outlet S. This member 12 is preferably formed of sheet metal and is provided with a washer 13 of yielding material, between which and the disk 6 the paper diaphragm is directly held. Formed through the member 12 and washer 13 is an outlet 14 which is concentric with the outlet S, and preferably larger in diameter, as is shown in the drawing. le have found that when the outlet from the hollow body and the outlet from the clamping member are of the same size the tendency is to cutout a circular portion of the diaphragm instead of rupturing same irregularly and consequently that the sound produced does not so closely indicate the discharge of lire-arms or detonation of explosive material. le therefore make the outlet of one larger than the outlet of the other, and we prefer to make the outer outlet the larger, as shown in the drawings and above described. The member 12 is provided with a handle 15 similar to the handle 10, so that the body 5 and clamping member 12 may be firmly held together by grasping the two handles'in one hand.

In Fig. 2 we have shown a slightly modilied form of our invention in which the body 5 forms the lower end of a cane. In this conis struck to collapse the` tend to loosen the connection between the IOO IOS

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vwith an outlet 19 which is larger than the outlet 8 for the reasons given in connection with the form of toy shown in Fig 1. The body 17 is provided with outlets 20 for the air. Secured in the body 17 is a handle 21 forming the cane proper. Surrounding this -handle 21 is a sleeve 22, Within which is a coil spring 23. The wires 16 above described are secured in the sleeve 22, so that the pressure of the spring 23 holds the disk 6 of the body 5 firmly in contact with the lower face of the Washer 18 carried by the member 17.

In using a toy made in accordance with our invention when same is in form of a paddle as shown in Fig. 1 the body 5 and clamp member 12 are swung apart at the hinge 11 by separating the handles 10 and 15. The diaphragm of paper or similar material is then placed between the disk 6 and body 5 and the washer 13 of the clamping member 12 and the handles brought together in the position shown in Fig. 1, so as to clamp the diaphragm firmly in position. If the body 5 is now struck against any solid object it will compress the air so as to rupture the diaphragm covering the outlet 8. As has hereinbefore been pointed out, the disk 6 and outlet 14 are of different size insuring the diaphragm being ruptured in an irregular manner and thus producing a sound similar to the discharge of 'fire-arms or other explosion. In using form of device shown in Fig. 2 the body 5 and clamping member 17 are separated by forcing the sleeve 22 down. The diaphragm of paper may now be placed between the washer 18 of the clamping member 17 and the disk 6 of the body 5. Upon releasing the sleeve 22 the diaphragm will be clamped in position by the pressure of the spring 23. To rupture the diaphragm the body 5 is struck against any solid object. In this form of device the act of striking the body 5 forces the said body and clamping member 17 more firmly together so as to assist the spring 23 in holding diaphragm in position.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a toy, the combination With a substantially hemispherical hollow body formed of impervious flexible material and provided with an outlet, of means for clamping a diaphragm over said outlet in position to be ruptured by the collapse of said body.

2. In a toy, the combination with a pair of disks provided with outlets of different diameters, of means for holding said disks together to clamp a diaphragm between them, and a hollow body of impervious flexible material secured to one of said disks for rupturing said diaphragm.

3. In a toy, the combination with a hollow body formed of impervious flexible material and provided with an outlet, of a member provided with an outlet and adapted to clamp a diaphragm over the outlet of said body, the outlet in said memberbeing larger than the outlet in said body.

4. In a toy, the combination with a substantially hemispherical hollow body formed of impervious flexible material, of a disk provided with an outlet, and a flange carried by said disk and extending substantially at right angles thereto and receiving the edge of said' body, whereby pressure on said body forces said edge into contact with said 'flange and disk.

5. In a toy, the combination of a substantially hemispherical hollow body formed of impervious flexible material, of a disk provided with an outlet, a flange carried by said disk. and receiving the edge of said body, and a member provided with an outlet and adapted to clamp a diaphragm over said iirst named outlet, said Jfirst outlet being smaller than said second named outlet.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN ARMSTRONG. `[L. s l

ALBERT A. COUP. lL. s] Witnesses:

W. A. ALEXANDER,

BENNETTE PIKE. 

